Mumias based Dismas Indiza in action during the final round of the Karen lef of the Safari Tour today.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

After a string of second place finishes, it was finally time for Mumias based Dismas Indiza to celebrate at the end of the Karen Country Club leg of the Safari Tour today, after returning a score of 3-over par 74 in the final round to win the leg.

Speaking after the round, Indiza said it was great to finally win a leg of the Safari tour, adding that it was special to win it at Karen a course that he is familiar with.

“I am delighted to finally win a leg of the Safari Tour, I have come close several times and it is special that I have won it here at Karen, a course that I am very fond of. It is great that I have won and I hope to take this momentum into the Magical Kenya Open,” he said.

Indiza’s joy came at the expense of overall series winner Greg Snow who had a morning to forget, returning a round’s score of 7-over par 78. Overnight leader Greg Snow, started the round in good form, completing the first nine holes with a par score of 35, after a hitting a bogey at the par-4 3rd and a birdie at the par-4 7th.

It was however at the back nine where Snow melted, hitting bogeys at the 11th, 17th and 18th coupled by a triple bogey at the par-4 13th, to see him return a back nine score of 7-over par, 43 for a total round score to 7-over par 78, to finish second overall.

On the first nine, Indiza dropped shots on the par-4, first and par-4 3rd before quickly recovering with birdies on the fifth, seventh and ninth holes to return a front nine score of 1-over par 36. The hard hitter did well to hold his nerve through what was a challenging back nine on the day, to return a respectable score of 2-over par, 38, for a total round score of 3-over par 74.

Thika Sports Club’s, Simon Ngige finished third on the overall leader board, two shots behind Greg snow with a score of 6-over par, Ngige shot a round of par-71 to take advantage of the slide by the players who had started the day above him.

Uganda’s Philip Kasozi and Great Rift Valley’s Justus Madoya claimed two of the three remaining slots to the 2019 Magical Kenya Open, after finishing in the top two slots outside the nine who made the cut to play after the Windsor leg of the Safari Tour. Kasozi played an impressive round of 2-under par 69 on the day, to finish fourth on the overall leader board with a score of 7-over par 291, two ahead of Madoya.

Royal Golf Club’s Eric Ooko claimed the final spot after beating Jacob Okello at a play off on the 7th, 8th and 9th holes, after the two had finished the day tied on an overall score of 12-over par. Ooko played a birdie-par-birdie to beat Okello who returned scores of par-bogey-par.

Meanwhile, Nyali Golf & Country Club’s Daniel Nduva emerged top elite amateur, taking home the tournament’s Silver Salver, with a score of 11-over par, to place him tied for 8th on the overall leader board.

Attention now shifts to the Magical Kenya Open, set to take place at the Karen Country Club, from the 14th to the 17th of March 2019.

Mumias-Sugar’s Dismas Indiza in action at the Karen Country Club leg of the Safari Tour Golf Series. He is currently second going into the final round.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

Greg Snow returned a decent 1-under par 70 score on round three of the Karen Country Club leg of the Safari Tour Golf Series taking his tournament total to 3-under par 210 to extend his lead at the top by three strokes. On the first nine, he carded a total of 36 courtesy of a lone bogey at the par-3, fourth; and having held par on the rest of the holes.

On the back nine, he carded a total of 34 courtesy of birdies on the par-5, 12^th, the par-4, 13^th and the par-4, 17^th with his only bogey coming at the end of his round at the par-4, 18^th. He has now played under-par for the three rounds; a feat he only attained at the Muthaiga Golf Club leg of the Safari Tour Golf Series when he registered under-par scores across the four rounds.

Dismas Indiza continued with his steady form to return a 1-under par 70 score on round three to take his total for the tournament to level-par 213. This leaves him firmly in second-place; four strokes ahead of his nearest challenger. On the first nine, he carded a total of 35 with consecutive birdies on the par-5, sixth and the par-4, seventh which cancelled out dropped shots at the par-4, eighth and the par-4, ninth.

On the back nine, he started off hot with consecutive birdies on the par-4, 10^th, the par-5, 11^th and the par-5, 12^th before dropping shots at the par-4, 13^th and the par-4, 15^th. He holed a birdie on the par-4, 17^th before following it up with a bogey on the last hole.

Speaking after the round, Indiza said he was happy with his performance for the day, adding that he is looking forward to finishing off the season with a flourish tomorrow.

“I am happy with my performance today; it has been a steady three rounds and I now focus my attention to tomorrow’s round which is the last on the 2018/2019 Safari Tour season. I will give it my all to see if I can reduce the gap to Snow at the top,” he said.

Windsor Golf and Country Club’s Rizwan Charania returned a decent score of 1-over par 73 to take his total for the tournament to 4-over par 217; leaving him in tied for third alongside Nyali Golf and Country Club’s elite amateur, Daniel Nduva.

On the first nine, he started off with a birdie at the first, before holing a bogey at the par-3, fourth and later a birdie at the par-5, sixth for a total of 34. It is on the back nine that he struggled with form to card a total of 39. On his part, Nduva carded a decent 34 on the first nine but struggled on the back nine for a total of 41 to take his total for the day to 4-over 75.

Meanwhile, the race for the final three qualification spots to the 2019 Magical Kenya Open Golf Championship has intensified with five players battling it out. The five include Ooko Obura (currently at +5 for the tournament) Justus Madoya (currently at +6 for the tournament) Jeff Kubwa (currently at +7 for the tournament), Ugandan Phillip Kasozi (Currently at +9) and Jacob Okello (Currently at +10).

Action for the final round of the Karen Country Club leg of the Safari Tour Golf Series tees off tomorrow at 7am. The tournament is sponsored by Magical Kenya and Barclays Bank of Kenya.